Nagasaki Nomad Residency 2026 — Year Two of Japan's First Prefectural Digital Nomad Program. Applications Open July 1
This program enables participants to build meaningful connections with Nagasaki’s nature, history, and local communities.
Participants engaged in cross-cultural dialogue with local residents on themes such as peace while taking part in curated cultural experiences that provided a rare, firsthand perspective on Japanese traditions and society.
After experiencing Nagasaki as participants last year, two members of the program are returning this year to serve as Community Manager Hosts.
Twenty participants will be selected for a one-month residency: check-in Sunday, October 18; program Monday, October 19 through Saturday, November 14; check-out Sunday, November 15. Self-funded extensions are available before, during, and after. The newsletter is how to receive the application form when it opens. Subscribe at nagasakinomad.com. Accommodation, in-prefecture transportation between bases, and access to coworking spaces are fully covered.
Live Where Histories Cross── Feel the stories, and connect where histories meet in Japan.
Many visitors come to Japan expecting difference — in culture, language, and rhythm. In Nagasaki, they find echoes of shared pasts. From Portuguese ships to British missionaries, from Dutch merchants to Vietnamese exchanges — the threads of their home countries have already touched this land. Through this program, we invite participants to connect the dots — to see Nagasaki as a place where history, identity, and future possibilities intertwine. The Nagasaki Nomad Residency is a one-month, in-person, contribution-based program. Each applicant proposes what they will bring to Nagasaki — a content creation, a workshop, a documentary, strategic advice for a local business, a session with students. Selection turns on contribution quality and fit with local hosts. In January 2026, The New York Times named Nagasaki #17 on its "52 Places to Go in 2026" list, citing the city's layered history and renewed urban infrastructure. The Residency runs in dialogue with that moment, giving working professionals a deliberate month inside the place itself — and a chance to leave something useful behind.
Key Details
Dates: Check-in 10/18 (Sun) ｜ Program 10/19–11/14 ｜ Check-out 11/15 (Sun)
Duration: One month
Capacity: 20 participants (at least 2/3 international)
Covered by the Program: Accommodation, in-prefecture transportation between bases, access to designated coworking spaces
At Participant Expense: International flights, daily meals, optional cultural activities
Self-Extension: Available before, during, and after the program at participant's own expense
Visa: The program does not facilitate working visas or residency.
Applications Open: Wednesday, July 1, 2026 — delivered via the program newsletter at nagasakinomad.com
Our 2026 Community Manager Hosts
Two 2025 participants return as Community Manager hosts for the 2026 cohort, co-designing the program alongside Yugyo Inc.
Lígia Gomes (Portugal) — Former General Manager at Remote Year, where she led community and operations for one of the world's pioneering global remote-work programs. As a 2025 participant, her posts on the historic ties between Portugal and Nagasaki resonated widely across her network and helped bring new international attention to the city.
Samanta Berga (Latvia) — Entrepreneur and experience designer. After her 2025 residency, she extended her stay at her own expense to deepen relationships with local entrepreneurs in Nagasaki. She brings hands-on experience in co-creating community-led initiatives.
Together, Lígia and Samanta set the cohort culture, lead the bridging work between international participants and the Japanese host community, and institutionalize what worked in 2025.
What 2025 Produced
- A pawnshop launched a new product line with cohort input. A Nagasaki pawnshop owner developed a new product over the course of the residency. The 2025 cohort became its first customers before they left.
- Students received an unconventional career and English education — working international professionals in classrooms at local high schools and universities. English conversation that doubled as career exposure to alternative ways of working.
- A regional Japanese newspaper journalist conducted an 8-hour on-site interview, then flew to Chiang Mai to continue reporting. The resulting feature ran in a major Japanese international-affairs publication in early 2026.
-A new Nagasaki guidebook launched with the cohort's city walk as its cover story.
- Three participants extended their stay at their own expense. One extended for another month in Nagasaki City; two on the Goto Islands. The longest total stay reached 64 days.
In Their Own Words — 2025 Alumni
"Coming from Lisbon, Nagasaki felt surprisingly familiar — the hills, the bridges, the energy, and the history Portugal and Nagasaki share. I felt embedded, welcomed, and part of the city."— Lígia Gomes (Portugal), former General Manager at Remote Year. Returning as 2026 Community Manager host.
"After coming to Japan many times, I felt for the first time that I could stay here long-term. After the program ended, I came back at my own expense. I'm exploring a new partnership with local business owners."— RJ Macalanda (USA), CEO and digital marketer.
"I plan to travel back in the next two years with my family — to be in a city that now feels like a part of me."— Mat Boyle (UK / Denmark), brand design specialist.
From the Operator— Ryo Osera, CEO, Yugyo Inc.
"It is no coincidence that Nagasaki, my hometown, took the lead in Japan in initiating this project, leveraging international networks to build societal influence through the advancement of remote work. As our regions address demographic changes, the city's enduring international outlook remains highly relevant. I am confident that our partnerships with local enterprises and the community will continue to bridge historical legacies and develop into a sustainable initiative that signifies a new era of peace."
How to Apply
Applications open Wednesday, July 1, 2026. Subscribe to the newsletter at nagasakinomad.com — the application form will arrive in subscribers' inboxes when it opens. Newsletter issues over the next three weeks will share program details, the contribution model, and selection criteria. Selection is rolling. Final cohort confirmed by mid-August. All applicants receive a response.
About Digital Nomad Nagasaki
Digital Nomad Nagasaki is the umbrella initiative under which the Residency, the Community Manager Academy, and the Local Business Seminar Series operate. Commissioned by Nagasaki Prefecture, operated by Yugyo Inc., with JDNA and JWA as program partners. Recruitment for the Community Manager Academy and Local Business Seminar Series will be announced separately.
Yuji Doy
Yugyo Inc.
nomads-ngs@yugyo.work
DIGITAL NOMAD NAGASAKI 2025 ~ Live WHERE HISTORIES CROSS ~
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